Teen admits to leaving firework on Pleasant Hill school campus that later exploded, injured boy

PLEASANT HILL — A 15-year-old Pittsburg boy has admitted to leaving an illegal firework on a middle school campus that later exploded and injured a 14-year-old boy, police said Tuesday.

Pleasant Hill police Capt. Matt Kristic said the 15-year-old came to police headquarters last Friday with a parent and acknowledged he was the person seen on surveillance footage bringing the explosive firework onto Pleasant Hill Middle School’s campus around 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, when the school was empty.

Police said investigators will send a case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for review and to decide whether to file criminal charges.

In previous statements, police said the footage showed the suspect walk into an outdoor hallway, put the firework on the ground and light it, where it ignited but did not explode. A day later, shortly after 3 p.m. April 17, officers responded to reports of an explosion on a walking path near the 2800 block of Contra Costa Boulevard.

When officers responded to the area, they arrived to find first responders treating a 14-year-old suffering from serious injury to one of his hands. Officers learned that the teen, a Pleasant Hill Middle School student, had found the unexploded firework on campus, took it to the walking path and lit it. The firework blew up as he held it, police said.